Tornado Rips Through Coastal Town in Southern Brazil, Killing Two, Injuring Dozens, Destroying Homes

Porto Alegre, Brazil— A tornado ripped through a small coastal town in southern Brazil Thursday afternoon, killing two people and injuring dozens as it tore roofs off houses and hurled debris across streets.

The tornado touched down around 3:45 p.m. local time in the municipality of Torres, in Rio Grande do Sul state, according to the national meteorology institute. Witnesses said a dark funnel formed quickly over the ocean, then moved inland for about four kilometers. It lasted less than ten minutes.

Civil defense said two men, aged 34 and 58, were killed when a wall collapsed and when a tree fell on a car. At least 35 people were treated at local hospitals for cuts, fractures, and head injuries. Eight remained hospitalized by evening. More than 120 houses suffered damage, 40 of them destroyed.

"The wind came like a freight train, windows exploded," a shop owner told local radio. "We hid in the bathroom. When we came out, the street was gone — roofs in the trees, boats on the road."

Power was knocked out across the town after the tornado toppled more than 30 electricity poles. The mayor declared a state of emergency and ordered schools closed Friday. The army was called in to clear roads and help with temporary roofing. Forecasters said the tornado was spawned by a severe squall line that had already produced hail further inland.

Southern Brazil has seen an increase in severe convective events this spring as warm, humid air from the Amazon collides with cold fronts from Argentina. Tornadoes remain rare, but this stretch of coast, where flat terrain meets the sea, is known for strong wind shear. The state had recorded three tornadoes already this month.

Emergency officials said initial damage surveys showed losses concentrated in two low-income neighborhoods near the beach, where houses are built with light materials and poor anchoring. Those structures offered no resistance to winds estimated at 180 kilometers per hour. Insurance coverage in the area is minimal.

The weather system that generated the tornado moved northeast toward Santa Catarina state, where authorities issued new warnings for severe thunderstorms. Civil defense urged residents to avoid damaged buildings, which could collapse.

Search teams were still checking damaged houses after dark with flashlights, calling out for anyone trapped.

The wind had stopped. The rain had not.